Two maritime emergencies, one with consequences: Rescuers recover casualties from the Ems and Bodden

A sailor fell from his trimaran into the water between Emden and Termunten in the Netherlands shortly after 12 noon on Sunday, 10 May 2026. This is according to a statement from the sea rescuers. His two young teenage daughters were reportedly left alone on board - and reacted prudently. They sent an emergency call to Bremen Rescue Radio via channel 16. The DGZRS Maritime Rescue Radio Centre then alerted the surrounding shipping and dispatched two helicopters and rescue cruisers from Borkum and Eemshaven in the Netherlands.

Sailors driven hundreds of metres away by the current

The crew of a pleasure craft also received the distress call and used the automatic identification system (AIS) to determine the position of the trimaran near buoy 58 in the Borkum-Emden fairway. The sailor who had fallen overboard had drifted several hundred metres with the current. The crew of the 8.5 metre long motorboat finally succeeded in rescuing the man from the water.

The pilot transfer vessel "Izurdia" then took over the casualty and brought him back to his trimaran. The pilot transfer vessel's technical engineer transferred to the trimaran and steered the boat with all three people to Emden, where an ambulance was waiting. Carsten Ihnken, head of operations at the DGzRS Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, said after the incident:

"The two girls mastered this life-threatening situation with admirable presence of mind."

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Open boat capsizes when hit by waves

A day earlier, there had been another distress at sea in the Rügischer Bodden shortly before three o'clock. According to the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern water police, an open sports boat capsized there due to waves. Father and son fell into the water. The son was able to contact his mother by mobile phone, who in turn alerted the rescue services.

Several lifeboats and two rescue helicopters made their way to the casualties. They were rescued from the water with hypothermia and taken to the nearest hospital.

During the rescue, the emergency services discovered that the skipper of the boat was under the influence of alcohol (0.4 per mille). The Stralsund Water Police Inspectorate ordered a blood sample to be taken, as the consumption of narcotics could not be ruled out. Criminal charges were filed against the man.